Workers at Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) plan to start a five-day strike from today, possibly forcing Greece’s refiner to operate at about 50-60 percent of average daily capacity, a union spokesman said. “There will be a drop in output of around 40 to 50 percent,” union spokesman Georgios Michas said. “As for deliveries of crude and products, we will be delivering to hospitals and army only.” A company source said he expected a slowdown in output at the 67,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Thessaloniki refinery and the 140,000 bpd Aspropyrgos refinery but definitely not a stoppage. He added that ELPE had stocks for about 90 days. Michas said the stoppage was in protest against a planned merger of ELPE with local rival Petrola, with workers concerned over job cuts and wages in the new company. Hellenic’s management has asked a court to declare the strike illegal. A decision was expected late yesterday.